


Web of Hope and Silver

by DatLAG



Series: Komahina AU One-Shots(?) [3]
Category: Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Tangled (2010) Fusion, Am I insane? Yes, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Gaslighting, M/M, Magic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pets, Running Away, That's basically what Junko does
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:35:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27959273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DatLAG/pseuds/DatLAG
Summary: The tale of Nagito trapped in a tower by his mother(?) Junko, and the thief going by the name of "Izuru Kamukura". Neither of which being truthful about their true nature, one by ignorance, the other by shame. But together, they will come to embrace their true nature. Along with making a few friends along the way, and some ennemies.
Relationships: Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Series: Komahina AU One-Shots(?) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138499
Comments: 7
Kudos: 77





	1. Bedtime Story

**Author's Note:**

> I am completely insane for doing this but I don't care.  
> Not too long ago I let myself be tempted by nostalgia and rewatched the Tangled movie. And I found myself with a whole new appreciation for this movie! I noticed tons of things I didn’t as a kid, and this motivated me to make this!  
> And for once it's not Hajime with the long ass hair.  
> I hope this insane AU fills a little niche people didn't know they wanted to fill dhcjbdwj

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this AU was a stupid idea but I don't care, I Sly Cooper AU i can do that too.

Once upon a time, a single drop of moonlight fell from the sky. From that drop, a silver flower bloomed. And it had the power to heal the sick and the injured.

That day, an old woman found that flower. But she wasn’t a nice good old woman, oh no. It was the witch Junko Enoshima. And she kept the magic flower a secret.

Afterwards centuries past, and on the island right next to the land, civilization thrived, and the kingdom of Jabberwock was born. It was ruled by a beloved king and queen, whose trust, smarts and kindness reached to all citizens.

The queen, the intelligent Kyoko was about to give birth to their child, but alas, she had fallen sick. Deathly sick. And her amazing brain couldn’t save her.

Refusing to let his queen die, her husband Makoto kept hope, and searched for a cure, a miracle. Moved and worried, the entire kingdom searched together for what could save their beloved ruler, and caught wind of the tale of the silver flower that could cure anything.

However, the witch Junko was still alive. Using the power of the flower to give her eternal youth. And all she had to do was sing to the plant a childish, sweet, simple song.

_ “Oh gift of the moon, _

_ Beauty from heaven, _

_ Grant me your fortune, _

_ Give back what was taken.” _

With this melody, the flower became a fountain of youth, and she was not going to hand it to anyone. But, a simple mishap on her part was enough for the flower to be discovered while she was not looking, and unrooted from the ground to give to the queen.

With a simple tea made from this gift of the sky, the queen breathed true life once more.

She gave birth to a baby prince with silver hair, poofy and fluffy like the fleece of a sheep.

This was the first hero of this story, Nagito.

To celebrate the miracle and his birth, his parents launched a flying silver lantern into the sky. And everything was perfect.

But not for long.

In the dead of night, an intruder made her way into the royal chambers, all the while singing a sweet song.

_ “Oh gift of the moon…” _ The witch leaned down the baby’s bed. _“Beauty from heaven…”_ As she continued singing, the child’s hair glowed of white, silver and grey.  _ “Grant me your fortune…” _ Her hand slipped into the boy’s hair, her wrinkly fingers becoming thin and soft again. As she raised a single lock, she slid a pair of scissors near it.  _ “Give back what was t-” _ As she cut the lock, the strand turned white and the shine disappeared without a trace. On the baby, that same cut lock became of a clear white as well. Just as much as Junko’s fingers, becoming pale and wrinkly once again at the loss of the hair’s power.

Alas, she knew what she had to do to keep her beautiful young looks forever.

With the boy’s cries, his parents were woken up, only to see the witch snatch away their precious offspring, and just like that, she was gone with the prince.

The kingdom searched relentlessly for the child, but in vain. Deep within a forest, in a hidden tower, Junko Enoshima raised the boy as her own. As he grew up, she fed him tales of the dangers beyond the house as she gently brushed his magical hair. Determined to keep her new fountain of youth safe, and forever trapped in her reach.

But the walls of that tower could not hide everything. On his little feet, his long dangling fleece trailing behind him, on his birthday, he would watch the special stars by his window. Or so he believed were stars, when in actuality, it was his family's cry for his return. Thousands upon thousands of flying silver lanterns flying in the skies, grace of the king and queen and their kingdom, released on his birthday.

A fleeting hope that maybe, their little prince will return.

* * *

A little white bunny hopped out of the tower’s window and hid behind a jar on the edge of it. Panting and waiting.

Following her hiding, the window slowly opened, and a silver haired teen observed around him. After a bit of thought, he sighed softly. “Tragic. It seems Usami isn’t here…” He concluded before walking away from the window.

The animal let out what was similar to a human sigh of relief, before she felt a hand grabbing her, lifting her up towards the inside of the tower.

“Find you.” Said Nagito.

Usami looked disappointed at her performance.

He chuckled. “Would you want to play another game?”

The rabbit answered by hoping out of his hand and looking down at the floor of grass down the tower.

He sighed. “You already know what I think.”

Disappointed again she was.

“Come on.” He softly lifted her up. “There’s other things we can do.”

There started his usual morning routine at 7AM. He ran through the room, his ludicrously long silver hair trailing behind in a thick ponytail behind him. He reached for his favorite tool, a long metal stick with a cord at the end, and after a bit of climbing on the tower’s supporting braces, he threw the spear’s cord at the opening of a window, pulling and letting the light in. Afterwards, it was cleaning, wearing an apron and covering his mouth and nose with a thin tissue to protect himself from the dust. Then doing the laundry, sweep and shine up the place, which would then lead to 7:15 AM. It was time to read some more books and play the piano. And after all that activity, he noticed a free spot on his walls to put a new artwork. He reached for his box of tools and paint and drew the mural in the color of the night sky.

In between some more painting, he solved puzzles, did some dancing (which was quite complicated with his hair), played chess and darts with Usami, made some objects in paper maché, and knitted. Then some pottery, ventriloquy with Usami and candle making… stretching a bit then sketching, taking a climb or doing some dress ups with his little rabbit. If he had time to spare, he would reread the books, search for a new place to paint, and finally the longest task of the day, brush his hair.

And all the time, he asked himself the same question.

The same routine over and over again. He read that life was this unexpected spiral of events, but it stayed uneventful.

So he wondered: “When will my life actually begin?”

At least there was one event he was looking forward to. Tomorrow night, the day of his 18th birthday, the lights will illuminate the night sky.

He felt an attraction to those lights, like a moth to a flame. He wanted to see them.  _ Truly _ see them. Not out of his window, but from outside, really be beneath the illuminated sky. But if only his mother would let him go, he sighed as he finished his new painting. A picture of said lights, glowing on the backdrop of a night sky, and a silver silhouette watching beneath on dark green trees.

It was a sigh he would let out every year, but this time, he will act on his wants. Just this time.

* * *

Heavy black boots grinded against the blue roof of Jabberwock’s castle, Hope’s Peak, followed by commoner’s shoes and high heels of all things. The three thieves jumped up and down the castle's towers towards their destinations.

The scenery caught the eye of the brunette among them.

“Wow.” He admitted. “I wished I had a view like this.” He may have had his left eye under a white patch, but his green right one was enough to make him register the beauty before him.

The dark haired woman behind him, Celeste clicked her tongue. “Stop wasting time and come here Izuru.”

“Just a second…” He asked, giving him more time to record the view in his mind. “Ok I’m done.” He walked towards his accomplices. “After this I’m getting a castle.”

The third crook, Haiji, chuckled. “Oh you’ll get your castle after this.”

Then Hajime was slowly coming down from the ceiling of the treasure room, thanks to Haiji holding the rope tied around his waist and lowering him down. In no time, there was the crown right under the thief. A silver and gold crown meant for the kingdom’s lost prince. At least no one was going to need it anytime soon.

Reaching out for his price, the brunette felt something making his way up his nose. He didn’t know what it was, but whatever particle could have been, it made him sneeze.  _ Loudly. _

Didn’t take long for guards to burst in the room, and the thief was out with his comrades.

The crown safe in his bag, he and his fellow criminals were running away from the city right into the forest. And it was only 8 in the morning.

It was a very big day for Haj- well,  _ Izuru, _ as he was today known to the world.

* * *

“Nagito! Come on my little flower, I’m not getting any younger down here!”

“I’m coming mother!” He replied. He took Usami behind a curtain. “Don’t let her see you.” He whispered to her with a smile.

He made his way to the window and hanged his hair to the hook attached to said window. The locks fell deep down, and beneath, Junko reached for it, and hooked her foot in the ponytail.

Above, Nagito pulled hard on his fleece, and slowly brought her up the window. At least it was giving him some exercise.

Once up there, Junko declared. “I’m back sweetie! And I bought some more salt for your meals, surprise!” She dusted her dress and sighed. “How do you manage to do this lifting everyday?” She patted the boy’s hair.

“Habit.” He simply answered.

She laughed. “Then you should make it a habit of being faster too!” She waved her hand. “Just teasing!”

She walked past him right to her full view mirror. Looking herself in it as Nagito made his way next to her, appearing in its reflection as well. “Mother, I wish to speak to you about-”

“Nagito, come here.” She grabbed the boy by the shoulders and made him stand right next to her. “Do you see what I see?”

He stared at the reflection along with her.

“Because I see a beautiful, confident, young creature.”

He dared not to think she meant him.

“Oh and you’re here too!”

There it was.

She laughed: “I’m just joking!” Like always.

That joke was getting a little old, however, a clumsy naive boy like him had no right to tell her that. While she kept checking herself in the mirror, he picked up the subject he was trying to bring up. “As I said mother, I wish t-”

“Sweetie…” She interrupted. “I’m feeling a little worn down… Would you sing for me dear?”

“Oh. Of course.” He smiled.

He ran through the room to pick up Junko’s massive chair, and he put it in its usual spot. His mother slowly sat down on said chair, while he picked up his tiny stool and his brush. He handed the brush over to Junko and sat down on his stool, letting her pick up his hair.

He cleared his throat, and took his time singing the song.

_ “Oh gift of the moon, _

_ Beauty from heaven, _

_ Grant me your fortune, _

_ Give back what was taken.” _

Once done, Junko let out a sigh of relief.

Nagito eagerly went back to his subject. “Now mother, I’m sure you are aware tomorrow is my birthday.”

“Are you sure?” She brought her hand to her chin. “I can recall that your birthday was last year.”

It seemed his mother didn’t read the books about ceremonies and events. Like always. “Birthdays happen every year on the same day.”

“Right right.” She handwaved.

“Now…” He took a deep breath. “I am turning 18 tomorrow. And what I would really want for this birthday is… well it is something I’ve been asking for a long time you are aware of this-”

The blonde woman groaned. “Nagito please,  _ get to the point. _ You know I hate it when you beat around the bush  _ bla-bla-bla, _ it’s  _ so _ annoying. Just teasing!” She pinched Nagito’s cheek and got up from her chair, getting her bag to unpack the things she brought.

Nagito could only watch her walk away. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw Usami moving her head as if to give him the signal to try again. He decided to let himself be tempted. “Mother, I want to go see the lights.”

She looked at the boy with confusion. “What?”

“Well…” He got up from his stool and walked to where he had painted his new illustration, of him looking at the lights in the night sky. “I hoped you would take me to see the lights.”

“Oh.” She waved her hand. “You mean the  _ stars.” _

“That’s what I thought but…” He grabbed his metal stick and used its cord to pull on another window. The light revealed another painting in the corner of the room, depicting stars and constellations. “I charted the stars and their movements with books and my own observations, and those lights just don’t follow any of the patterns. They appear every year on my birthday and  _ only _ on my birthday. So… I’m sorry for being so pretentious but... Something deep inside me feels like they’re calling to me… It must at least possess some deeper meaning I want to observe for myself.”

He clenched his fist. He did not know what it was about those lights that moved him so much, but the feeling was present and needed to be expressed.

“I need to see them and understand. Not just from my window, but in person. I need to know what they  _are._ Thinking of seeing them gives me _hope.”_

Junko was silent. It took her a few seconds to let out a smile. “Oh. You want to go  _ outside?” _

She closed the window with a slam.

“Look at you Nagito…” She caressed his hair. “You’re as fragile as a flower! Tell me, why do I keep you in this tower?”

It was an obvious question. “To keep-”

“That’s right!” She kept caressing his hair, down to his ponytail and following his long trail of silver fleece. “To keep you  _ safe _ and  _ sound…” _ She walked to another window and closed the curtain. “I guess I knew this day was coming… That soon you would want to leave the little nest…” She started making her way up the stairs.

Nagito walked up to her, breathing in to talk, but she interrupted him.

“Soon but not  _ yet.” _

“But-”

_ “Shh.” _ She shushed. “Trust me dear.  _ Mother knows best.” _

And with a bang on the wall, the window closed and the room turned black.

This was her way to signify the start of her little lesson. A light show to scare off the boy about the outside world. Tales of the plague, bugs, men with pointy teeth, and that she was alas the only thing capable of keeping him safe. All the while cementing the fact he wouldn’t survive alone, that he was too naive, gullible, ditzy and vague to keep himself alive.

It had a lot of effect on Nagito when he was a kid, and it kept its shock value through his teenage years, and by the end of her spooky stories, he couldn’t find it in himself to fight her when she asked:

“Don’t ever talk about leaving this tower  _ again.” _

He didn’t answer and only looked down.

She sighed and gently cupped his face to make him look up. “This is for your sake dear.”

“I know.” He only breathed out.

She hugged him and placed a kiss on his hair. “Remember sweetie, mother knows best.”

Nagito didn’t have time to build a new resolve to beg to see the lights, as Junko was already sliding on his hair to leave the tower. “I’ll see you in a bit, my flower!”

He watched her disappear in the forest and the crevice that kept the tower hidden from sight.

“I’ll be here.” He affirmed her.

“Like always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm completely insane for daring to make two AUs at once but fuck it.  
> To be honest I think Hajime would fill better as Kyoko’s and Makoto’s kid, cuz honestly he has traits of both, but hey I gotta make a consistent plot jdnchbsjuikiuj  
> (also he’s their future son in law so there’s that at least hjdschbfkbjg)  
> Also yeah I’m not doing the songs sorry. I have no skill when it comes to writing songs in fics and rewriting them sounds like sheer hell sorry I’m a weakling. You’re free to picture them tho!


	2. It’s a Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The prince and thief meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It takes me a while to write the thing, so yeah don't expect updates to be often sorry hjbvsd  
> But I'm trying! And I hope this piece finds its public

Deep within the forest of the land, the three thieves were getting away from their pursuers. Out of breath, the brunette took some seconds to rest against a tree, on which he noticed his wanted poster.

“Wow can’t even get my hair right.” He had no idea why he had stupidly long hair on the poster: WANTED Izuru Kamukaru Dead or Alive. But at least he wasn’t going to complain, it would make it harder for people to recognize him.

“Get your move on!” Yelled Haiji.

“Yeah yeah.” Behind him, he heard neighing. One quick look behind him, and he recognized that the royal guards were still on his tail. He made sure the crown was still tight in his bag and ran with the two other thieves.

But they found themselves in a dead end. However there was a little cliff above to escape.

“Alright. Give me a boost then I’ll pull you guys up.”

Celeste stepped forward. “Give us the bag first.”

He sighed. “Of course…” He dropped the bag in her hand, which she slid around her waist.

He did as his plan said, and climbed up Haiji and Celeste. Once all the way up, she said: “Now it’s your turn.”

“Oh sorry.”

He showed the bag he took from her waist as he climbed.

“My hands are full.”

He fled alone, hearing “IZURU!!” being screamed behind him, unable to fight the smug grin on his face.

It was not the only action behind him, as he took his distance, he heard the guard chief, Shuichi Saihara order his comrades: “Getting that bag is our first priority!”

They kept pursuing the thief until a large bush stopped the horse, however Shuichi was determined and he and his mount managed a miraculous jump beyond.

Then ensued a pursuit between the two boys, and their long run eventually led to the edge of a cliff. The brunette, trying desperately to outrun his enemy, ended up tripping and the bag escaped his grasp to end on a branch at the end of said cliff.

The thief didn’t hesitate to hope after it, while the guard was hesitant before hopping off his mount and carefully walking after the other on the thick branch. The brunette managed to get to it first, but the loud crack they both heard didn’t sound like anything good.

And before they could question it, the both of them were tumbling down the cliff with a scream.

Suichi ended up in a bush that saved him from any potential injuries. And he immediately got up to start looking around for the thief. He scolded himself for hesitating before, as if it would’ve made a difference, and stared at his surroundings for clues, venturing deeper in the forest.

The thief however, was watching him walk away behind a rock, and once the guard was out of his sight he went out of hiding. Tired from that ordeal, he slid his back against a wall.

Or so he thought was a wall, but behind all the grass was a crevice which made his back hit the floor. He let out a grunt, but at the same time thanked his lucky star. It was fortunate of him to have found an even better hiding place.

He went through the crevice, and he could swore he heard footsteps behind him, probably the royal guard. So with silent steps he arrived to the side.

In front of him was a huge tower in the middle of grass and a lake, surrounded by a cliff that kept it hidden. He had no idea how that place came to be but he wasn’t going to ask. He needed somewhere to hide and this was it.

He climbed up the tower with the help of his knives, one in each hand that he planted in between the rocks that constructed the tower, and he finally made it up to its window.

He hoped in and closed the window behind him, panting and trying to catch up his breath. He opened his bag to verify his prize, and indeed there was the crown. He let out a sigh of relief.

Then something hit the back of his head, and everything turned dark.

* * *

Nagito let out a scream when the other person hit the ground. He hid behind the nearest furniture and observed the other human being. They were motionless. He slowly came out of hiding and poked at them with his spear. No response. He looked at Usami and she seemed to be scared too.

The words of his mother rang in his mind. “Men with pointy teeth”.

He held out the tip of the stick and pulled on the intruder’s face. Their teeth… weren't pointy. They were just like Nagito’s. How curious. He also realized the intruder was another boy, and he turned his head to the side with his spear once again. The brunette had one of his eyes covered by a white eye patch, but he didn’t seem nearly as terrifying as Junko made people out to be. Nagito thought he looked like one of those princes in the fairy tales he read as a kid. Brown hair, a good looking face and tan skin that reflected light.

But it was not the time for daydreaming, Nagito needed to do something about this. He looked at Usami again, she pointed at his closet.

Right, he needed to put this boy somewhere.

After some… shenanigans to try and get him inside it, he managed to do so, and to be sure he stayed in, he stuck the closet’s doors with a chair.

He panted in sheer disbelief, and ended up looking at himself in the mirror as he mumbled what just happened.

“I’ve got a person in my closet.”

He should’ve probably freaked out at that, but instead that made him laugh. He was terribly excited. His mother was wrong, he could defend himself just fine, and he had the first… interaction he ever had with any other human being! It was a big step forward for him.

In the mirror, he noticed the reflection of the stranger’s bag. Inside was something shiny. He carefully slid his hand inside, and he pulled out an object he was unfamiliar with. It was a really gorgeous item however, of color gold and silver, embellished with what looked like jewelry. Was it… a crown? One of those things nobles would wear on top of their head?

He looked at the mirror, and back at Usami. She seemed very excited. He took it as his cue to try what he had read, and slid the item on his head.

He was shocked by what he was seeing. He almost called the sight pretty if he didn’t realize that was himself he was looking at. The crown was sublime, and it was perfect in the silver of his hair. It somehow felt… right to have it here.

He was knocked out of his trance by someone calling him, Junko.

“Nagito!”

He quickly hid the bag and the crown inside a jar and ran to the window to place his hair on the hook and help his mother up.

“My flower, I have a surprise for you!” She said as she was pulled up.

“I do too!”

“I bet mine is better.”

Nagito looked at the closet and murmured. “Oh I really don’t think so...”

Once up there, she claimed. “I bought seasonings and more salt, we can make your favorite rice dish! Surprise!”

“Thank you! And mother, there’s something I want to tell yo-”

She sighed. “Nagito, I hope you are not going to talk about the stars again.”

“The lights.” He corrected. “But yes, it is somewhat about that.” He looked at the closet and walked his way next to it.

Junko walked to one of the tables and put down her bag. “I thought we already dropped the issue sweetie.”

“No mother, this is… well you think I’m not strong enough to handle the outside bu-”

She cut dry through his words. “Oh I  _ know _ you are not strong enough.”

He nervously laughed. “But if you would just-”

Her smile started to fade away. “Nagito.”

“Just trust me on this single thing…”

_ “Nagito.” _

“Because I have proof that I can-”

Her fist hit the table next to her.  **“Enough!** No more lights and no more your stupid hopeful day dreaming!  _ You are not leaving this tower!  _ **_Ever!”_ **

Fear gripped Nagito by the guts and he stopped dead in his tracks. Shutting up and barely breathing.

Junko sighed and sat down on her chair. “Oh great. Now  _ I’m _ the villain…”

The boy was suddenly exhausted, like the weight of the world was dropped on him, at that weight was now deep down in his stomach. He stared at his painting with empty eyes, and murmured to his guardian. “Mother…”

_ “What?” _ She answered, clearly fed up with him.

“I know what I want for my birthday now.”

She groaned. “If it’s the stars  _ I swe-” _

“No!” He exclaimed. “No, I want paint… I want the paint you brought back that one time. You know, the shiny gold one?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Nagito, you’re aware that it takes a three day trip to get it right?”

“Yes I am but… It’s a better idea that the…” He swallowed hard, but kept his fake smile up. “The  _ stars.” _

Junko’s expression softened and she slowly walked up to him. “Will you be fine on your own for so long?”

“I know I’m safe as long as I’m here.” He answered.

She smiled and hugged him, kissing his hair while she did.

After singing the song for he rone more time, they both started packing for Junko’s trip, Nagito handed her her bag and coat and watched her off after she said some words of parting.

So, she was going to be gone for three days. Perfect.

* * *

The thief brunette slowly came to after he felt something pinch his cheek, and it didn’t take long for him to realize he was sitting on a chair and that something was wrapped around his limbs, tying him down. He tried moving but he couldn’t do anything. He was more astonished to realize what exactly was tying him down.

“Is that… is that hair..!?” He was still half out, but the texture and sensation on his skin was definitely those of hair.

He heard a voice in the corner of the room, deep in its darkness. “Struggling is pointless.” It was the voice of a boy around his age. He tried following the shadow of said boy with his eyes as he kept talking. “I know why you are here. And I’m not afraid of you.”

“What..?” There were no words to describe how confused he was.

Then out of the darkness, his mysterious captor made himself known. A thin silver haired pretty boy with pale skin and greyish eyes, white and red fancy shirt, dark pants and a long hand made green coat. “Who are you, and how did you find me?”

The brunette’s eyes widened. Definitely what he was not expecting to see. The boy looked like he walked right out a fairy tale, younger him would’ve been in sheer awe of how pretty he was, but now he was more shocked than anything else. 

The royal looking boy repeated his words, all the while lifting up what looked like a metal spear with a cord as the end. “Who are you and how did you find me?”

I hum…” The thief cleared his throat and gathered up his thoughts. “I have  _ no clue _ who you are, and I just so happened to stumble here…”

The silver haired boy did not let go of his serious expression. “You did not answer my first question.”

“Oh hum…” Well, it was not like it was a secret. “I’m Izuru. Izuru Kamukura.”

“Then, Izuru, who else knows my location?” Kept interrogating the boy.

Oh this was going to be a handful he could tell. He sighed. “Listen here dude-”

_ “Nagito.” _ Corrected the silver boy while pointing the spear at the other.

At least he had a name now. “Listen Nagito, I was in a bad situation, I was running away from people when I found myself here with-”

That was when he realized he was missing something crucial.

“Oh- _oh no-_ Where’s my bag!?” He couldn’t help but ask in panic as he was looking everywhere.

Nagito crossed his arms. “Somewhere well hidden.”

The brunette stared at his captor for a bit before sweeping the environment with his eyes once again, and settled on a guess. “It’s in that jar over there isn’t it?”

And everything went black again.

* * *

He woke up, and he felt something pinching... _biting_ his cheek again. “Hey!” He watched a white bunny hop off his shoulder. “That hurts!”

Nagito shrugged. “I’ve relocated your bag. Now then.” He started moving around the chair the thief was tied to, a long silver ponytail following him. “So, what do you plan to do with my hair?”

That was an unexpected question. “Your… what?”

“Cut it? Sell it? Burn it in a ritual? Use It for magic?”

“The hell!?” The brunette was offended by his words. “No! Why would I do that!? I’m not some kind of warlock! Right now all I wanna do with your hair is get it  _ off _ me!”

The boy stopped in his tracks and stared holes into the brunette’s face. “You… don’t care about my hair?”

“There is no treasurer on earth that could calculate the number of  _ fucks _ I  _ do not give _ about your hair!”

The boy was shocked by the sudden rudeness.

“Oh- sorry-” He didn’t mean to be an asshole. And he wasn’t really in a good situation to be rude. “Look. I was looking for somewhere to hide, I found this tower, I climbed, and then I was knocked out. That’s  _ all _ I did, and I have no idea who you are!”

Nagito came closer and stared deep in his uncovered eye. “Are you telling me the truth?”

The thief stared back. “Yes!”

The white rabbit hopped on the other teen’s shoulder. Said teen walked away in a corner and was... talking to the rabbit? Well the thief guessed there were probably people who would talk to their pet…

While the silver haired boy was having his conversation, the brunette tried to listen in, but he was talking in a hushed voice that kept him from discerning any tangible words. The teen eventually turned back to the brunette with a friendly smile. “I have a proposal for you.”

Can’t wait to hear the schemes he concocted with a rabbit of all things. “What proposal?”

Nagito walked across the room and yanked on his hair, making the chair the thief was sitting on turn. He pointed at a painting with his spear. “Do you know what this is?”

It was the painting of a silver silhouette looking at silver lights in the sky. It took a bit of time for the brunette to recognize what those were. “You mean the lanterns? The one they throw in the sky for the prince..?”

“Lanterns?” Nagito mumbled with a smile. “I knew it wasn’t stars.”

Wait, he never saw them?

“So yes, those lanterns. They will appear in the sky tomorrow night, and you will act as my guide to go see them, then you will guide me back home safely and I’ll hand you your bag back.”

Again, there were no words to describe how confused the brunette was. So he told the obvious answer. “Yeah-  **_no.”_ **

Nagito was… not pleased with his answer. He picked up his hair and started pulling, pulling the chair along with it. “Now listen to me. I like to believe in abstract things.”

The thief was drawing closer and closer to him, and he gradually didn’t like the look in the other’s eyes. “Not a good idea.”

He ignored his words and kept pulling. “I believe in luck, and I believe in hope. I believe my hope of one day seeing those lights brought you here as a stroke of luck.”

“Actually it was a guard that brought me here.”

He kept ignoring him. “So let me make this clear.”

The thief was dangerously close to the other boy. Said boy stared into the other’s eye, inside Nagito's eyes were like two torrents of lights clashing and swirling against each other.

“You can do anything to me, or break this tower down as you wish, but without my consent, you will  **never** find your precious bag.”

That… was a bad situation. He was serious, very serious and the thief didn’t have the courage to call the other’s resolve into question. At this point, he really didn’t have much of a choice. He sighed. “Ok, let me make this clear. I bring you to the lanterns, we go back here, and  _ then _ you’ll give me back my stuff?”

“Without fail.”

The brunette stared with his uncovered eye, trying to discern the trace of a lie.

“Making a promise requires belief. It requires placing trust in that other person, placing  _ hope _ in them. And I  _ do not _ tolerate anyone who tramples over other’s hope.  _ Including _ myself.  _ Understood?” _

The spiky haired teen cringed hard, he was between a rock and a hard place. He really didn’t have a choice.  He let out a loud groan that echoed through the room.  _ “Fine! _ Deal!” He held out his hand, well, as much as he could while being tied up.

The other boy looked confused.

“Dude this is a handshake. People usually shake hands when they make a deal.”

“Oh.”

Nagito slid his hand in the other’s, and the thief was shocked by just how soft and bony his hand was. It was like he could break it if he squeezed too hard. Also this handshake was taking a bit long. “Also you let go when it’s done.”

“Really?”

“Yes!” How sheltered was this boy!?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm like... barely at a quarter of the movie holy crap hjncd and this is probably full of typos  
> also i'm trying to conserve the DR's character's personality as much as possible, but it's really hard hjfvhbdj i hope you guys like it tho!  
> Thank you for reading!


	3. Fun for Everyone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The start of Nagito's and his guide's journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That chapter was hell on earth to write... And it took me a lot of time too

“So are you coming or not?” Yelled the brunette as he climbed down the tower with his knives.

At the top, Nagito was looking down the stone construction. All of a sudden, it looked much higher than it had ever been.

This was it. He took his decision, he made a deal, and he was about to step out into the world outside. Part of him was scared, scared of the world, scared of his mother’s reaction, just scared of everything that could happen.

However, hope was believing that things would turn out ok in the end. He believed in the promise he made with Izuru. He believed the world outside wasn’t as terrible as his mother told.

After all, the brunette didn’t have pointy teeth.

On his shoulder, Usami was giving him a nod, the A-Ok to go. He took a deep breath, hooked his hair to the window with his spear on his back, and threw himself into the air.

The descent was longer than any fall he ever had, and every single moment of that fall he spent it looking at everything around him. The colors, the plants, the rocks,  _ the world. _ And just before he hit the ground, he stopped.

He looked beneath his feet. It was the bustling green of grass. Slowly, he put his foot down, and the grass cracked under his hand knitted shoe. It was an amazing sound.

As he was anchored to the new ground, euphoria overtook him. This was happening. He was doing it. It was a dream come true.

The next few hours passed so fast. Nagito was discovering, experiencing so many things. His excitement and the world was overwriting everything else. Water, the wind, the grass, the plants, the animals… However he could tell Izuru was sometimes quite tired of explaining.

Speaking of which, he eventually tackled Nagito with a question.

“What’s up with your… self deprecation deal?”

“Hum?” Nagito turned around while he was touching a plant.

Izuru rubbed his hand behind his neck. “I don’t know if you noticed this but… sometimes you refer to yourself as “lowly” or “naive”, “gullible” and all kinds of derogatory adjectives. Why’s that?”

The white haired boy laughed. “Because it’s true! Mother tells me so.”

While Nagito was bringing back his attention to the plant, Izuru mumbled. “Your mother’s awful.”

Those words made Nagito raise an eyebrow. “Of course not. Why would you think that?”

“A mother shouldn’t call her kid “lowly” and all that stuff. That’s just…”

“Your mother didn’t call you that?”

“I…” His eyes darted all over. “I wouldn’t know- but I know parents should treat their kid with respect!”

“My mother treats me with respect!” Nagito smiled back. However Usami on his shoulder didn’t look like she agreed.

“Do you call someone you respect “lowly”, “ditzy” and “naive"?”

“Well…” He stopped moving for a second, thinking about it. “No.”

“See?”

He shrugged. “But it’s true in my case!”

“Oh for fu-” Izuru groaned. “You know what, forget it, you’ll see for yourself eventually. Just-” He pointed at Nagito. “Don’t call yourself that alright? It’s not good for you.”

The white haired boy could only stare back in confusion.

The brunette sighed and started to walk away. “You know what, I’m hungry. And I know just where to crash for lunch.”

* * *

Shuichi was still searching for clues through the forest. Eventually, he found Izuru Kamukura’s wanted poster. Which was in his opinion, awful. If it was supposed to represent the thief he was going after, it did a terrible job at representing him. He doesn’t recall the massive locks of black hair depicted. However, he took off the poster and turned it around on the blank side, and pulled out a pencil. He could still use the paper as a map, this would make things easier.

He heard some noise coming from a bush. As a reflex for potential bandits, he hid behind a rock and waited for them to come out, in case it was the thief. Once the ruffles stopped, he pulled out his katana and jumped from his hiding place.

However it was not a thief he found, but just a blonde woman in a cloak.

“Oh-” Shuichi quickly sheathed his blade. “I’m sorry- I didn’t mean to scare you!”

The woman sighed and looked down. However, her eyes flew open as if she realized something. “You!” She pointed at Shuichi. “Aren’t you from the royal guard!?”

He flinched at the sudden question. “H-Hum- Yes?” The answer should be obvious from the symbol he wore on his uniform. A blue star shaped crystal, the symbol of Jabberwock’s royal family. He wore the black uniform, representing his rank as royal guard chief. A uniform he received by hand from the queen.

“Where is your squadron!?”

The forceful way she asked made him take a step back. She stared at him directly, which prompted him to hide under his hat. “My squad? They’re- hum-”

Before he could answer, the woman looked panicked, and started running off.

“W-wait!” Tried to call out the guard, but alas, she disappeared from his sight in a flash.

For some reason, his presence made her worry about something. This was all Shuichi could tell from her way of behaving and her sudden escape. He didn’t know what that was about, but he had more important things to take care of at the moment.

* * *

The thief grumbled. “Finally! So Nagito-” He patted the boy on the shoulder. “Here’s the hotel Mirai.” He started to make his way to the thick wooden door of the building, practically built inside a rock. 

It was a little place he frequented once in a while. He knew some people here, might even call them “friends”, since some seemed to have taken a shine to him. Going there wasn’t a good plan he knew, but that was the only place he, a thief, could go and get a warm plate of food.

He knocked at the door.

At this cue, a little part of the door slid, and two pink eyes peeked out of the tiny hole. “What’s the password?”

“Don’t take me for a dumbass Kazuichi, there’s no password.”

The boy on the other side chuckled. “Yeah I know.”

There was an unlocking sound and the door opened. The brunette made his way inside and Nagito followed suit, and the later boy stopped dead in his mouvements ad he observed the people inside.

The brunette noticed the sudden stiffness and sighed. “Come on, aren’t you hungry too?”

Nagito slowly walked in, wearing a large nervous smile. A stranger in a strange place.

“Hey!” One of the ruffians called in a corner. It was a girl with multicolored hair. “Who did you bring with you today mister spiky hair?”

The thief sighed. “It’s a long story.”

A very tall dark haired man with a chain around his neck poked at Nagito’s fleece. “That’s a lot of hair… I dunno how long has it been growing out but it’s probably since forever!” The man laughed.

The brunette didn’t know if he should defuse the situation, since Nagito looked quite terrified, but he decided not to. It was the teen’s choice if he was too scared to confront the outside, or go against those “scary criminals”. It was a little test of will.

A one eyed small blonde boy walked over to Nagito. “What’s a dude like you doing here?”

“Oh me?” The white haired boy awkwardly chuckled. “I am just on my way to see something.”

In another corner, a boy wearing a long purple scarf laughed. “Hahaha! Are you telling me the great green eyed thief has been reduced as a guide for this sheepish weak boy?”

The laughter kept spreading through the room.

“Guys, not funny.” Said the brunette.

A tiny blonde girl chuckled. “Sorry but it really is!”

The thief sighed. There went his entire reputation. But he didn’t have a hundred choices, once he fulfilled his part of the deal, he’ll get the crown and disappear, never to have to worry about anything again. It was worth it clenching his teeth and being humiliated in front of everyone. He chose this place to eat after all, not like he knew anywhere else to go.

With a careful, worried step, the silver haired boy walked in the middle of the loud commotion. “Please- no need to descend into mockery.”

The brunette had a feeling Nagito was just going to make it worse. “You don’t need to-”

“He’s helping me make my dream come true! I’m sure all of you understand, I hope I am not the only one with a dream or wish.”

And that was the moment he wanted to crawl under a rock and die. The way Nagito described it he sounded like the well good hearted fairy in a child’s tale, in the middle of a bunch of ruffians.

He prepared himself for more laughter coming from everyone.

But instead, the multicolored haired girl, Ibuki, stepped forward. “Oh! I’ve got a dream!” She then ran to the back of the room, and pulled out a guitar. “I always wanted to be a musician!” She strummed the cords and started a little tune. “Hey folks! Everybody say something keep it going!” She pointed to the pink haired boy. “Come on!”

The brunette thief shrugged. It was time for the usual stupid musical number kicked by Ibuki. Some type of game they played sometimes.

He also noticed the girl giving him a wink. Oh. She did it on purpose to save him the questions. He owed her one.

As she started to play a rhythm, Kazuichi, who was the one she pointed at, rolled with it. “Hum… I always wanted… hum”

Ibuki stopped playing. “Come on! Give it more energy!”

“Alright alright!” He cleared his throat, and Ibuki restarted her music. “I’ve always dreamed of being the best metal worker around! Hey your turn!” He pointed to the scarfed one, Gundham.

He laughed. “Very well! I shall show you!” With a wide mouvement, hamsters came out of his scarf. “I dream of a kingdom of beasts, where all can behold the beauty of all kinds!” He followed the movement and pointed at the one-eyed blonde, Fuyuhiko.

“I want to rebuild my lost fortune!” He snapped his finger. “Next!”

A small boy jumped forward, Teruteru. “My dream is to be the best chef in the city! And if possible, getting lai-”

He was interrupted by an energetic strong girl who pushed him out of the way. “I wanna be the strongest ever!” She pointed to the tall man, Nekomaru. “Come on coach!”

“Haha! I dream to be a trainer, and show the soldiers how we really become the best!” He slapped Nagito’s back. “Your turn boy!”

The silver haired teen coughed after the sudden push, but laughed and declared. “I dream to see the lights that illuminate the sky every year!” He held out his hand to his guide.

The brunette sighed. “Do I have to..?”

Everyone looked at him and Ibuki kept repeating the same note, waiting for him.

“Ok fine!” He cleared his throat. “I want a place all for myself, like an island where I can be all alone!”

As the party continued for the rest of the establishment, the brunette couldn’t help but notice Nagito’s stare in his direction. A stare of… pity? There was nothing wrong with what he wanted. At least after that, the long haired teen seemed to be having fun listening to everyone’s rants and chants, and joining in on the cheers.

However it didn’t last long, as their commotions seemed to have attracted unwanted attention. As the door flew open, and none other than royal guards bursted into the room.

This immediately reduced the place to silence, and the green one eyed teen didn’t waste any time pulling Nagito away to hide.

“There were reported sightings of Izuru Kamukura!” The guard pointed to the other soldiers. “Search the place!”

And as if it wasn’t bad news enough, behind them were none other than Haiji and Celeste, in chains. This was probably where the sightings came from. They also knew of this place.

Kazuichi poked at the brunette’s shoulder and led him and Nagito to a hidden trap. “Go guys, and good luck!”

“Thank you! And good luck to you too with your dream!” Declared Nagito with a smile before starting to crawl away.

The pink haired boy poked at the brunette’s shoulder again. “Sorry for laughing fam. Have fun on your trip!”

The thief chuckled at his choice of words. “Yeah a _trip_. Anyway, thanks. I owe you one.”

The two travelers disappeared behind the trap. Meanwhile, the rest of the teens inside the building played dumb on who on earth was this Izuru Kamukura. The guards couldn’t find any traces of the thief, and just as they seemed to be stuck, someone else bursted into the room.

None other than Shuichi had found his way through the forest and found his squadron. Said squadron were also quite happy to have their boss back.

He asked for a quick resume of the situation and started searching for any trace of the thief. And with his talent, in no time he found the trap door.

Him and the guards descended down, leaving only behind a single soldier with the two captured criminals.

Said criminals wasted no time in beating that lone soldier and freeing themselves.

“Tell me.” Spoke up Celeste towards Haiji. “Where should we search first for the crown?”

This was far from being the only action going on around, as outside of the hotel, none other than Junko was watching it all go down from the window. Her hand on the thief’s bag she had recovered from the tower, and out to get back her precious magic flower.

With the worst timing, Teruteru left the building to take a breather, and noticed the woman. “Oh my! I didn’t expect to be treated with such a lovely sight today!” He tried to flirt.

The blonde woman giggled. “Oh there is no need to be so extra!”

She then pulled out a long dagger under the nose of the wanna-be chef.

_ “Tell me everything.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh I see you my writing taking a dip, oh- oh there it goes  
> Anyways, Ibuki youre a life saver, both for Haj- IZURU and me  
> And did you guys noticed that everytime its in our salty boi's POV i never refer to him as Izuru? _I wonder why huh_  
>  Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! Sorry this update took so long


	4. Shine The Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two teens get into trouble, and reveal some secrets to each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess whos back  
> back again

Deep within the dark underground passageway, the brunet was holding up a bright yellow lantern, followed closely by Nagito, who was curiously staring at his back. The thief was starting to feel more and more awkward in the silence, so he spoke up:

“So… There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask for a while now.”

The silver haired teen kept an unchanged smile. “If it’s about the hair or my mother, the subject is off limits.”

“Good cuz my question  _ wasn’t _ about that!”

“Oh? Is it about Usami?” The white rabbit was very much present on Nagito’s shoulder, staring at the thief too, so  _ that _ was its name.

“Nope.” Still walking ahead, the thief turned around to look at the other teen directly. “You want to see the lanterns right? You know they appear every year too.”

“Yes.”

“Then if you always wanted to see them so badly, just…” He shrugged. “Why didn’t you do it before?”

Nagito went silent. “That’s… complicated.”

The brunet sighed. “Of course it is…”

Before they could speak any further, a rumble started to echo through the caverns walls, not a good sign. At the other end, their fears were confirmed as a bunch of soldiers ran towards them, the charge led by Shuichi.

“We’re out of here!” Yelled the thief, and the two teens started running to the exit.

They finally attained a place the sunlight reached, on top of a cliff with all kinds of built waterways to pump from an underground water supply. Down the cliff further away was another cave, a potential exit.

Not far from this exit was a barred entrance, the wood that kept it shut was quickly blown away by none other than Haiji and Celeste.

Nagito pointed them out. “Who are they?”

With a shaky voice, the brunet answered. “People that hate me.”

Alas the guards caught up as well.

“And who are they?”

“Look, the entire world hates me. Alright?”

Shuichi and the other guards drew their swords, and the thief was seriously worrying for his safety. However, Nagito pushed a long corded spear into his hand. “Take this!” Then the long haired teen threw his locks towards one of the massive wood structures, and swung his way to another platform.

Alone with a weapon facing against an armed squadron, the thief took a deep breath. Time to apply combat experience.

The first guard swung at him, the brunet dodged to the side before slamming down the spear on their helmet, knocking them out. Another one did the same, the one-eyed teen slid the cord around their legs and pulled, making them fall face flat into the rough ground. Another KO. The brunet started to feel pretty good about this, and handled the other guards with just so much ease.

Until Shuichi pointed his katana towards him, and he knew he was in for a tough opponent. The dark haired hatted guard attempted numerous slashes, all blocked by the thief’s quick reflexes in maneuvering the spear, but he felt that the enemy was clearly knocking him around. He was at the clear disadvantage.

Which was eventually proven right, when the dark haired teen slid his sword around the spear, and in a swift mouvement, made it fly off the brunet’s hand, the spear tumbling down the cliff with a loud sound. The one eyed brunet could only lean back as the guard held up the sword beneath his chin.

Then locks of silver hair grabbed his hand, and he knew that was his cue to leave the scene.

Supported by a grunting Nagito, the brunet swung across the scenery. A bit too close to the ground, as he practically about to crash into Celeste and Haiji. But before he could be cut to pieces, the long haired teen pulled on his grip, lifting the other up to safety.

The thief was smug for a second before realizing he was about to crash stomach first into a wooden plank, but a bit of climbing up the hair saved him from that hurtful fate, and he got up the wooden surface to let out a sigh of relief, not letting go of the silver locks.

It seemed to have been a good decision, as Shuichi’s quick thinking made him slice a pillar of wood tied to a barrage, said pillar falling down and making a bridge towards Nagito.

From afar, the brunet called out to the other and he hung tightly onto the hair: “Nagito! Jump! Hurry!”

The silver haired teen looked back and forth between the two other teens, and eventually took the leap of faith, escaping Shuichi’s grasp. He swung across the vicinity and landed swiftly thanks to a puddle, but now he had new pursuers in the form of the two other criminals.

The last thief smelled trouble, and so slid on the structure he was on, a waterway, which safely made him land on the ground next to a running Nagito.

Well, “safely”. The entire barrage behind them bursted thanks to Shuichi’s desperate effort.

The water engulfed the guards, the criminals, and as the two teens managed to escape in the cavern, and even catch the previously fallen spear while they were at it, a rock pushed by the pressure fell right in front of the entrance, blocking them, only letting water slowly fill the den through.

No words were spoken, the look of worry on both of their faces was enough to assess the situation. The smaller teen dove in the liquid to search for an exit below, while Nagito who had grabbed back his weapon was hitting the walls, in hope of making a stone move to maybe reveal a way out. As the thief crashed and tried to push the rocks, he let out a wince as his hand was cut open by a rough mouvement against a sharp surface.

They both continued to struggle, but the water ronly got higher and higher. In the end they were both gasping for breath in the 40cm or so they had left.

Nagito was searching for a solution, and Usami, on top of his head, tapped his hair. This made the teen connect the dots. “Of course!” He smiled.

“Of course what!?” Panicked the thief.

“Just trust me.” The silver haired teen mumbled out: _“Oh gift from the moon; Beauty from heaven-”_ He cut his quick singing short as he took a deep breath and dove in the water, the brunet following him.

On cue, his hair overflowed with silver and white light, letting them see all through their surroundings. The brunet had to put his hand over his mouth to not gasp out the air in shock. With this, they could see that the locks were dragged to a bunch of rocks, giving them a clue of somewhere thin enough for the liquid to slip out. The both swam to it, and as the light was going on, they dug, nails and fingers pulling out more and more rocks.

Finally, they were out, the water bursting them onto a river, and they both dragged themselves onto safe land.

The two teens and rabbit were gasping for air. Nagito was just happy he was alive, the thief wondered _why in the hell did the hair glow._

As the long haired teen pulled his locks out of the water, he noticed the cut on the other’s hand. “You’re hurt!” He pointed out.

“Yeah yeah…” The brunet shook his head like a dog shakes his fur to get the water out of it. “Nothing a good night of sleep can’t fix.”

“Well…” With a smile, the taller boy finished amassing his fleece. “I know a way to make it go faster.”

* * *

Junko was waiting outside of the trapdoor of the Hotel Mirai. That small fool told her all of the information she needed, and she expected that one eyed brown haired thief to show up, her dagger was out, and her murderous instinct was out as well.

For her shock, who escaped from the trap were two other thieves, which she also got plenty of information on. Haiji Towa and Celestia Ludenberg, who were the ex-partners of Izuru Kamukura, her target. She did not thank that small pervert for that juicy info.

“Hello there.” She brought attention to herself.

The two criminals turned to her. The tall man barked: “What do you want, woman?”

“Oh I just… found something that might interest you.” She pulled out a bag, one she found underneath the stairs of Nagito’s room. Inside, a pretty crown was sitting comfortably, which she waved beneath their noses.

The two scoundrels recognized the object, and started pulling out their weapons.

“Now, I’m not here to fight. I’m here for a little deal.”

“What deal? You better not be wasting our precious time, time better spent in killing you.” Explained the dark haired woman.

“Oh do not worry, you will  _ love _ this deal. I’ll give you the crown…”

A wide smile crept on her face.

“If you kill Izuru Kamukura.”

* * *

“Ow!” Exclaimed the thief as the hair was tightening around his wound.

“The pain will end soon.” Reassured Nagito.

“Sure doesn’t seem like it!”

Now late evening, the two teens had prepared a firewood and were sitting close to it to dry their wet clothes. Nagito insisted he had a little trick to fix the wound, but the brunet had to wonder: How can hair that glow can fix up wounds? And how can hair glow in the first place!? The silver haired teen let out a chuckle. “Now then. I will just ask a single thing.”

“What?”

He let out an awkward laugh. “Don’t… make a scene.”

Now that was ominous as hell.

Nagito cleared his throat and took a deep breath, and started the same tune he did back in the cavern, the same sing he knew oh so well.

_ “Oh gift of the moon,” _

_ “Beauty from heaven,” _

Light grew from the root of his fleece and started running down the locks. The brunet was mesmerized, it was not only otherworldly, but beautiful. The colors reflected Nagito’s features in a wonderful light show.

_ “Grant me your fortune,” _

_ “Give back what was taken.” _

As the one-eyed teen was tracing the light running down the hair, he perceived Usami, gesturing to him to look at his hand. This rabbit had no right to be this human like.

_ “Holy sky above,” _

_ “May the stars still shine,” _

Eyes on his hand, he could see the wounds glow beneath the silver.

_ “Allow me your love,” _

_ “Give back what once was mine...” _

With a final breath, Nagito finished the song.  _ “What once was mine...” _

The tune finished, the brunet unwrapped his limb from the locks. And beneath was his hand, woundless, perfectly healthy.

He was on the verge of a freak out, and the other could see that. “What did I say about not making a scene?”

The brunet coughed. “Okay.  _ Okay. _ This is  _ fine.” _ The brunet laughed. “This is  _ totally fine. _ C an I have an explanation please!?”

Nagito sighed. “I was born this way. I don’t have any more explanation. Mother said that when I was young, people would try and cut it. Getting the power for themselves.”

Well, hair that could cure any wounds was definitely enough of an amazing power to be the target of criminals.

“But the thing is…” Nagito ran his hand through the hair to his neck, revealing a small lock of a different color. “When it’s cut, it becomes white and loses all power.”

The thieve’s dumb mind blurted out: “Taking care of hair like that must  _ really _ suck.”

The taller teen laughed. “Absolutely. Now you understand, a power like that must be… kept away for everyone’s better interests.”

The brown haired teen indeed understood, no wonder he was sheltered. A completely crazy story, but a story he had no choice but to believe. He felt… pity. “You never left that tower?”

Nagito nodded, a hint of sadness beneath his smile.

“And after all of that, you’re going to go back?”

Nagito didn’t answer for a few seconds. “I… I don’t know.”

A new awkward silence arose. Something was twisting in the brunet’s chest, it was uncomfortable, it made him feel bad. He wanted to give the other a pat on the back, or run his hand in hair. Because not only was it magic, it was super soft and looked very inviting.

Nagito ended up breaking the silence. “Right, do you want me to use my hair for your eye?”

“My-” He touched his white eye patch. “Oh right. You don’t need to do that.”

“Why not?”

“Well…”

Actually, screw it. Nagito revealed his secret, he could reveal his too. He reached behind his ears and grabbed the end of the eye patch, slowly pulling it off. Once put down, he revealed his eye, which was just fine, and was of a deep blood red.

The taller teen was in awe. “Wow it’s... Izuru-”

The brunet cut him off. “Hajime.”

“What?”

He looked down. “My name’s not Izuru. It’s Hajime. Hajime Hinata.”

The silver haired boy’s curious stare told Hajime all he needed to know.

“Creepy huh?” He shrugged. “I was born with it. Everyone was scared of me, especially the other kids at the orphanage. So I just started wearing this.” He waved his eye patch. “It’s easier to sneak around when people aren’t scared by the sight of you.” He sighed. “There was a fairytale I used to read back then. The big bad dragon was called Izuru Kamukura, and he was always described as having those big scary red eyes… So…” He sighed again. Not taking his eyes off the ground.

Nagito didn’t understand, why would people find this so creepy? In his opinion, it was: “Beautiful.”

Hajime’s attention snapped to him. “Huh?”

“Your eyes.” The long haired boy stared deep within them, entranced. “I think it’s beautiful.”

There was a light shock on the brunet’s face before it was tainted with a light shade of red. His pupils darted around before he quickly got up. “I-I’m gonna try and get some food. I’ll be right back.”

Before he could disappear in the night, Nagito spoke up. “One more thing.”

Hajime turned around.

The taller teen smiled. “You don’t need to keep the eye patch around me. And honestly, I prefer Hajime. It’s a nice name.”

The blush was back on the brunet’s face. “Do what you want…” He punctuated before walking onto the forest.

After that, Nagito couldn’t help himself from giggling. His chest felt warm and his head swam in happiness, he never felt like that before, and it was amazing. He was discovering so many things, all thanks to Hajime.

“Well. Look who’s here.” He heard behind him.

He almost gasped, a chill ran through his spine as he recognized the voice. “M-Mother?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man it's been so long since I wrote from this AU... Sorry for the wait, it was tough sitting down to do it with all of the other stuff on my plate, never again two AUs at the same time hjfnchsd  
> Thank you and I hope you enjoyed!  
> Edit: I just realized I updated this the day of the Lunar New Year. How perfect!


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